"The most beautiful person in the world can be very insecure." Word of Jennifer Lawrence
Exclusive interview with one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood. At 28, after working half his life, he takes it easy. And as he promotes "his" perfume, he talks about his commitment to a more democratic America.
Someone will remember the blonde and damaged girl who won the critics of the Venice Film Festival ten years ago. It was in Guillermo Arriaga's debut film, The Burning Plain, a dramatic interpretation that Jennifer Lawrence revealed by winning her the Marcello Mastroianni Award. In the film the protagonist was Charlize Theron and, apart from their talent, the two actresses also share a special liaison with Dior. The French maison never fails in choosing its testimonials. By nose or by luck the actresses end up winning an Oscar or important awards (besides them: Natalie Portman and Marion Cotillard).
Jennifer has had a bond with Dior for years: it was their dress she wore when she tripped on the stairs as she went to get the statuette for The Positive Side - Silver Linings Playbook, in 2013. And now comes Joy by Dior, the new perfume, a hymn to positivity and the joy of living, of which she will be the face. Project that was sewn on her: Joy is one of her films from 2015, the biography of the woman who founded a millionaire empire by creating the “Miracle Mop”, a mop for floors. Jennifer was nominated for an Oscar.
This is a quiet time for the actress who started at 14 and has already had four Oscar nominations, winning one, and three Golden Globes at 28. The Hunger Games saga, featuring heroine Katniss Everdeen, has crowned her the highest-grossing international action star of all time. She is one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, the highest paid in 2015 and 2016, and is considered the best of her generation. He has worked for half of his life, in theory he can relax and prepare for the mature stage of his career. Already started with the nude scenes of Red Sparrow, where he played a Russian spy. Director, also of The Hunger Games, was Francis Lawrence, who directed it in the Dior commercial.
"In theory" is one of the expressions that Lawrence often repeats during our meeting in Los Angeles. He is not promoting a film, but he cares about the Dior project because he feels it is "personal". Even though these interviews tend to be measured, it seems difficult to control the spontaneity of this Kentucky girl. She has humor, she is the typical South American who smiles and looks you in the eye as she talks. She answers questions while having separate conversations with Pippi (at Pippi Longstocking), a sweet mutt who accompanies her everywhere and stares at her adoringly all the time.
What gives you joy?
“I love going to the park with Pippi. You like squirrels, don't you Pippi? Laughing with friends… This is a period in which calmness gives me joy while before I was looking for it in the chaos, in working hard. I appreciate doing nothing, being calm and feeling serene. I have been working for eight years non-stop and this is the first time that I say to myself: “Hey, it's ok even if you don't read all the film plots that come to your desk”. I can enjoy the fruits of my labor, in theory. Yes, some anxiety always remains, but I can do it. In theory". A telephone rings: «Is it mine? I can't believe it, nobody ever calls me… ».
Let's go back to positive thinking: is it real or is it a placebo to get better?
"I do not know. But it is important to set goals. When I was younger I said to myself: you have to do this within a year. So you have a better chance of being able to do it instead of sitting around waiting for things to happen ».
The difference between a film and a commercial is that in the second Jennifer is involved in the first person, not as a character.
"The most dangerous thing an actor can do while working is to think about the face, but if I'm shooting an advertising campaign then yes I think about it." Even for an actress it must be strange to end up in magazines and billboards all over the world. “I'll get used to it, I think. I know it's crazy, but you do it, and I'll get a mess of voice messages and photos from my friends who'll give me the middle finger…. Pippi did I caress you too hard? Can I give you some of the leftover chicken? Where is the salad with chicken? I ordered it because, in theory, it's good for you. And then I added some spaghetti because I like them ... Now I have to give Pippi something, I promised him! ". He feeds her, licks his fingers and looks for a napkin.
What a disaster it would have been if she had cleaned them on the beautiful skirt she is wearing today, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, the creative director of Dior.
"I love her job very much and I think she is a fantastic woman, I agree with the political message she is sending. When, as soon as she arrived, she made the t-shirt with the inscription We should all be feminists, I was immediately familiar ”.
Chiuri talks about the magical power of women, but do we have it?
“Our real power is the ability to nurture relationships and the care we take. But why do it in a bond if on the other side there is someone who does not want to receive? It's amazing how enriching the exchange between us women is, we have the ability to take friendships to a really deep level. Men tend to "do something" to entertain themselves. On the other hand, when I go to my friends I can spend hours just chatting, opening my heart. We manage to have close ties because we feed them ».
And who are the women who inspire you?
"Many. Jodie Foster has been my mentor since I was 19 (he chose her for the film Mr. Beaver, ed). Cameron Diaz is very close to me. He teaches me how to cook and gives me essential life tips. My mother is important to me. And my friends, including Emma Stone, are my Swat Team (the special police units in the United States, ed). Female power is an awareness that each of us should have. For me feminism is very clear, it means equality. But let's be clear: there are many things about which you can also laugh, joke, without putting it down hard. Feminism does not mean being oversensitive. I just want to be treated fairly, I want to be paid fairly, I want equal opportunity. And I want it for everyone ».
It is a political awakening that has led to commitment. In addition to charitable activities, Jennifer Lawrence is now part of RepresentUs, a non-profi t and no partisan association.
“We fight for a regular vote in a regular environment. For me it is not a partisan issue, my focus is on political corruption in our Administration and Congress. I want laws that prevent legal corruption, done through donations and lobbying, and I don't care who the president is at the time. The United States is not a true democracy, there are flaws. The idea is to support laws that give voters a voice and not donors ".
Jennifer Lawrence also has a strong opinion on the #MeToo movement. A year later, many are wondering if the rules have really been rewritten in Hollywood.
"I think so. I think something important has happened. Men need to understand that certain behaviors need to change. Some rules are no longer normal. And I think we should talk when we are not comfortable. Sometimes I found myself laughing to get out of uncomfortable situations, but it must be said that there is no good. But it's a long process, these changes don't happen overnight. We thank the brave women who came forward. We all needed it. '
She is protected by a reassuring gang of friends she tends to work with. It's a choice?
Oh sure. I have a special connection with director David O. Russell (The Bright Side, American Hustle and Joy: an Oscar and two nominations for her). When I was 21 he made me discover something I had that I didn't know existed. He brought out my best performances. Same with Francis Lawrence, with whom I have a great relationship. For him, making this commercial was important because he knows the facets of my personality, he knows how to make me happy ». So you got this job for you? "No, but I recommended it!"
It is very beautiful, because it is natural. His resistance to diets is known (unique case in Hollywood) and he says he doesn't care too much unless he has to get into a party.
“The most beautiful person in the world can be very insecure. You have to find what makes you feel good. For me it is being able to not cancel the gym, to be disciplined. But otherwise, I buy a huge amount of cosmetics that I will never use. I only use sunscreen every day and the exfoliator every evening. In theory. Ah, here, among the things bought and ended up in the bathroom cabinet there is even a stuff to clean dentures. But I don't have dentures. I had to explain it to a couple of boyfriends… ».
In an old interview she also said that her favorite perfume was the smell of red wine, because the cabernet sauvignon came out of her pores.
He bursts out laughing: «Cool! But now it is Joy who smells of flowers, sandalwood, musk and citrus, no trace of red wine ", but winks as she answers. “Joking aside, actually my first perfume was Miss Dior, which my mother wore. So it seemed perfect to be able to have "my" perfume. I invited my mum to Paris for 24 hours, we went to the workshops and we discovered how a fragrance is made. We still talk about it ». She returned to Paris again this summer, with her new boyfriend, Cooke Maroney, a New York gallerist with whom she seems to be happy after breaking up with director Darren Aronofsky.
How do you protect yourself from stardom?
“This is just work for me. I don't know what I could do without acting, I feel the need. I know I have to promote my films and manage a lot of things. It is a challenge to maintain as much privacy as possible and sometimes you have to let go. I spent years angry and resentful, I didn't even leave the house (due to some nude photos addressed to her then boyfriend, Nicholas Hoult, hacked from her phone in 2014, ed). You need to find the balance between wanting to continue to lead your life and give up control. But that's not a good reason to be a bitch, and to change. I know, it's a strange job ».
